Instagram reportedly blocked in North Korea

North Korea seems to have blocked access to Instagram, prohibiting people from capturing and uploading photos through the photo sharing app within the country's borders.

People who access Instagram through the country's sole 3G operator Koryolink have claimed to see a prompt that says: "Warning! You can't connect to this website because it's in blacklist site."

A text in a Korean language also warns that the site contains "harmful content" and appears when accessed through desktop computers and LAN connections as well as mobile devices.

But despite the recent block on Instagram and the warning, the app was reportedly still accessible to a few users.

While the reasons behind the block are still unclear, speculations are rife that the block could be due to the spread of images on social media of a recent incident of a fire at a popular hotel in Pyongyang, which has not been reported on the state-run media.

The government has yet to issue a statement on the reason behind the block. Meanwhile, Koryolink has said that it wasn't informed of a change in policy.

Despite being one of the least connected nations globally, North Korea has allowed access to foreigners through the country's 3G network since 2013.

Following the block on Instagram, other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have remained accessible.